Page 43 of Whispered Warnings: Part One

These thoughts circle around my brain as I continue to beat the shit out of the bag in front of me. The voices joining in and creating a cacophony that I try to drown out. My world narrows so that all I am aware of is the music blaring in my ears and the rhythmic pounding of my fists on the bag. I am aware that my knuckles have split, and I am also aware that I am quickly becoming a sweaty mess, although I am grateful that I am in leggings and a shirt instead of jeans. I hope River will let me pinch one of his shirts again. I like sleeping in them, and this one is gross now. If I wash it, then it’s not going to smell like him, and that’s the main appeal for me.

Oh, maybe I can get a collection going and steal one from each of them. That would be really fucking cool and has now become my new mission.

My turmoil has obviously calmed somewhat if I am thinking about stealing some of the guy’s clothes.

The fear and anger that the thought of being forced into a situation that I can’t control triggered slowly subsides, and I see the situation for what it is. I am still really fucking pissed that if the situation does arise, I have to take part, but the optimal word in that sentence is ‘if’. There is a chance that it may not happen. It’s a supernatural event, and there really isn’t anything I can do about it. I like the sound of the perks though and I really like the thought of knowing one hundred percent that I belong with the guys on this team, and that if the scroll says that there is fuck all that anyone can do about it.

I stop, my breaths coming fast, and my body slick with sweat. For a moment, I just stare at the bag and wince. It’s smeared with blood and looks pretty macabre. For fuck sake, I need to find something to clean this off, I really have to stop ruining the guy's shit. First, the wall, and now this. Turning around and hoping that I can find something down here to clean it, I freeze when I see all of the guys still in the gym and just watching me, all of them looking really concerned. I pull River’s headphones off my ears, and I am immediately surrounded by the silence and missing the thrumming beat of the music.

My smile is decidedly sheepish when I say, “I am really sorry about the state of the bag; I will clean it if someone can point me in the direction of the cleaning supplies?”

“I don’t give a shit about that,” Raiden starts, moving closer, “are you okay?”

They immediately surround me, and although I like it, my first thought is that I must really fucking stink, thanks to my impromptu workout, but none of them seem to mind at all, so I move on to more important matters.

“I’m okay now. I just had to work through some stuff,” I explain. I struggle to find the words to say what I want to. I don’t want them to think I usually react like this, “I’m not normally so quick to fight it out. Some things I have a harder time with than others, and being forced or trapped into a situation is still something that I have a strong reaction to.”

Evander’s eyebrows climb even higher on his forehead before he catches on to the hidden meaning in my words, and they dip into a frown.

Before any of them can question me on it though, Doc steps forward and holds out his hands, “Can I heal your hands please?”

I pause for a second, only because it hadn’t even occurred to me that he could do that for me even though he has healed meseveral times now. Also, they don’t hurt enough for me to need them healed, and I am about to tell him that when I catch sight of his expression, I think he needs to heal my hands more than I need them healed.

I gently place my hands in his, grimacing slightly when I realize how bad they are, whoops. I probably should have felt that, and it definitely explains why they are all looking at me so concerned. Well, that and the fact that I just lost my shit on a punching bag.

“Yes, please,” I reply to him with another slightly sheepish smile.

Doc returns it and within moments I feel a wash of magic go over me and I wriggle my fingers as the pain that I hadn’t even realized that I was feeling subsides, and then disappears completely.

“Better?” Doc asks, his thumbs rubbing the backs of my hands soothingly.

My hands look absolutely tiny in his tattooed ones, and I find that undeniably attractive. I gently pull them away, wriggling my fingers out of his grip this time.

Nodding, I reply, “Yes, thank you. Much better.”

He smiles, “Wrap your hands next time.”

I smirk and answer without actually agreeing, “I will always have the best intention to wrap my hands before I beat the shit out of a punching bag.”

The guys all know what I have done by answering Doc that way, and they either grin or chuckle.

Doc’s eyes sparkle as he replies, “Clever Neith, very clever.”

I just shrug, I am not going to answer how he is hoping that I will. Nine times out of ten, I will wrap my hands before I fight the punching bag, although when I do wrap my hands before I use the punching bag, I’m working out, I’m not freaking out, and if I’m freaking out, there is no way that I’m going to beable to make myself stop and wrap my hands first. I think he understands that though, because he doesn’t push it anymore and drops the subject.

“I’m sorry that we sort of sprung that on you, Nene,” Evander says, wincing, “I just figured that you would rather know in advance than have it sprung on you out of the blue and not have enough time to get used to it.”

I nod, “Yeah, you were right. I have time to get used to the possibility of it happening now. Besides, it is only a possibility, and there is no point worrying too much about something that may not happen.”

“I would react the same,” River replies honestly, making me feel a bit better about my reaction.

“I think you may find that in the unlikely event that the event is triggered, then the majority of us are not going to have very good reactions,” Ransom adds, his arms crossed over his chest. “The only thing that would make it slightly okay is that as one of the teams that want you, we would be there with you.”

“For all of it?” I ask. I need as much information as I can get about this thing that could threaten my life next. Even if it doesn’t happen, it still seems like the smart thing to do in this situation.

Ransom shakes his head, but Griff is the one who answers, “No, we would all be staying in the same building, it is this massive castle in one of the pocket realms, that they use specifically for this. Some of the tasks that you do, you would do with us, some of them you would do with the other teams or team, and some you would do by yourself.”

I nod, “Okay, so at least I wouldn’t be completely cut off from you guys then. What about the sleeping situation while we are at the castle? I wouldn’t have to share space with the other teams, right?”

---